


Half and Whole

by TeraArgentis



Category: DragonFable
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fire War, Gen, bedtime story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-14
Updated: 2012-02-14
Packaged: 2017-10-31 04:52:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/340115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeraArgentis/pseuds/TeraArgentis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Demento tells his daughter her favourite bedtime story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Half and Whole

It was moonrise when Altera decided it was time to go over her swords for their monthly rust and damage checks. She settled down on the rug by the fireplace with her cleaning kit and weapons as her young daughter watched curiously.

 

“Mama? Why do you and papa always bring out your weapons when you don't need them?

 

Altera smiled as she addressed her daughter, ruffling her dark brown hair, “We must always be prepared Ildri.”

 

“Is that why you have so many, mama?”

 

“That's right. I have different swords for different purposes. I wouldn't fight a fire elemental with a sword of fire, I would need a blade of water or ice.”

 

The girl nodded, “But you haven't been fighting for the past few months. Why spend time cleaning them?”

 

“Even if I don't use them as regularly as I was used to, they still need to be kept in good condition. They have to be checked for rust, damage and sharpness regularly, otherwise they will fail when I do need them.”

 

Ildri fell silent briefly before asking, “What happens if they do fail mama?”

 

“Then she has your papa to back her up!” Demento scooped up Ildri, carrying her to her bedroom. “Alright my dear, you've pestered your mother for long enough, time for bed. Which tale would you like me to regale you with this evening?”

 

“Tell me the story of the Valkyrie who descended to the Underworld to bring back her dead lover!”

 

Demento chuckled, “You ask me to tell you that story almost every week, dear one. Wouldn't you like to hear a different one?”

 

“It's the one you tell best, papa. Even better than the one about the Warrior who slew the Great Fire Dragon.” The child protested.

 

“Are you sure you don't want to hear the one about the paladin and the warrior who sneak in to the lair of a powerful necromancer, Ildri?”

 

“Mama tells that one better. Tell the Valkyrie story!” Ildri bounced on her bed.

 

“Very well.” the warrior sighed, sitting down in the bedside chair. “Once upon a time, there was a woman who was renowned for her fighting prowess. Folks called her 'The Valkyrie'. During the Great Fire War, she fell in love with a fellow warrior and they promised one another that after Akriloth was defeated and the war was won, they would marry. With help from her love and all of their comrades, the Valkyrie was able to slay Akriloth with the legendary Frozen Claymore.” Demento paused briefly.

 

“But...”

 

“But the war was not over. The Fire Realm was regrouping under a new master. The Valkyrie and her friends decided to travel East to find the source of the ongoing unrest but her sweetheart wanted to stay behind, to investigate the disappearance of a close friend of the Valkyrie. He agreed to rejoin them in the East when his investigations were complete.”

 

“Except he never did.” Ildri said sadly.

 

“Who is telling this story, dear one?”

 

“Sorry papa.” Ildri bowed her head.

 

“He soon found clues as to where the missing friend had disappeared and tracked him down, only to discover that the friend had apprenticed himself with an evil Pyromancer, the new master of the Fire Realm, in order to destroy his former comrades for failing to save his family from Akriloth!

“But the Valkyrie's lover would not let that happen. He travelled East as quickly as possible to warn his friends about the incoming danger but he had been spotted and the master sent his apprentice to pursue and capture him.”

 

Ildri gasped, “Oh no!”

 

“'Oh no', indeed. The warrior fought the apprentice but the apprentice was too powerful. He possessed the Fire Orb and struck a fatal blow, leaving the man to die as he plotted to destroy the Valkyrie. However, he did not expect the warrior to be so determined to warn his love that he would cling to the mortal coil long enough to warn her.

 

“The Valkyrie was heartbroken but she could not grieve over her loss. She had to focus on defeating the Pyromancer and his apprentice. Fortunately for her, the Pyromancer was betrayed and defeated by his own apprentice, who became the new master. The betrayal led the Pyromancer to arrange a deal with a rogue Moglin to assist the Valkyrie and her allies defeat the apprentice. And defeat the apprentice they did. Twice.”

 

“Twice?”

 

“Yes, once in his human form, and then the Valkyrie defeated him in his lava titan form astride her mighty dragon. As the apprentice's lair came down around them.”

 

“Wow.”

 

“As the dust settled in the aftermath of battle, the Valkyrie found herself counting the costs of the war, she had lost close friends, allies, and, most jarring of all, half of her soul.”

 

“Half of her soul?”

 

Demento smiled, “It is said when a person is born, they only possess half a soul. Do you know where the other half is my dear?” Ildri shook her head. “It is with the person they are destined to fall in love with. When these two people come together, their two half-souls become a single whole soul.”

 

“So when her lover died, she lost half of her soul papa?”

 

“That's right, Ildri. She was no longer whole. Without a war to focus on, her grief bubbled up and she was inconsolable. No one could ease her pain and so she wandered the land for years, helping others, to find a purpose for herself after her loss. But the emptiness would not be filled by noble deeds.

 

“Then one day, as she travelled North to visit a friend who required her help, she had a brilliant idea... what if she could descend into the Underworld to retrieve her lover from Death? She travelled the land, searching for the fabled entrance to the Underworld. From the bitter Frozen Northlands to the blistering Sandsea, she journeyed, still helping the vulnerable as she went. It took her several more months but she found it, the entrance to the Underworld, guarded by Death's diligent guard dog, Triskylos. She slipped past the watchdog carefully and descended slowly, taking many mortal days and nights to reach Death's home.”

 

“How did she get past the dog?”

 

“That is a story for another time. Now, Death was impressed that a mortal would willingly descend into his realm the hard way and had already been watching the Valkyrie as she was one of many who helped to return souls stolen from the Underworld by Necromancers and restore the natural order of the world, so he listened to her as she stated her case.

 

“ _'My life, my soul is not complete without him.'_  She said. _'I would do anything to bring him back, to fill the emptiness in my heart.'_  And Death replied, _'Would you? Then you would not mind indulging me by playing a game. Your lover is among the many souls within my realm. If you can find him before Sisyphus's rock rolls down his mountain, then you may both return to the Mortal Realm. However, if you fail, you will both remain in this realm, and never be reunited.'_  The Valkyrie agreed to the deal.”

 

“Why would she agree to the deal papa?”

 

“I guess she loved him so much, she was willing to risk not being with him to bring him back. Love does make people do irrational things after all. As I was saying, she agreed to the deal and Death started his little challenge immediately. But the Valkyrie did not have much time, Sisyphus was already halfway up his mountain and his rock could roll down at any minute. There was no way she could search the entire Underworld to track her lover down.”

 

“What did she do?”

 

“She looked inside herself, looking for and finding the thread that connects her soul-half with her lover's and she followed that all the way to her lover, just in time too as the rock was about to fall down the mountain. The Valkyrie had won the game against Death and he allowed them to return to the Mortal Realm. The happy couple were overjoyed to be reunited in life and their return to the Land of the Living was met by much celebration. They soon married and lived happily ever after, together and whole. The end.” Demento stretched, before leaning over to tuck his child in, “Now, it's time for you to go to sleep my dear one.”

 

“Papa, one more question. Did the Valkyrie and her husband have any children?”

 

The warrior smiled, “Yes they did. They had a very beautiful and very intelligent daughter who they love very much. Sweet dreams, Ildri.” He kissed his daughter's forehead, turned the lighting orb down to low, and left the room.

 

Altera was halfway through her maintenance routine when Demento entered the lounge. The warrior woman cocked her head to the side amusedly, asking, “The Valkyrie story again?”

 

Demento nodded, before taking up a spot on the rug beside her, “She really loves that story. I don't think she'll ever tire of it.”

 

“And I'll never tire of you darling.” She set the sword she was going over to the side to stretch before Demento dragged her onto his lap, kissing her neck.

 

“It's hard be tired of half of one's soul, my love.”

 

Altera laughed before turning to face the man she risked everything to bring back, pressing her forehead against his. “I know. And I also know that I definitely won't be feeling tired tonight..”

 


End file.
